


Supervision

by mournsi



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AU, Everything is the same but, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Single Dad Tony Stark, Slow Build, peter is about 10-11ish in this fic!, stephen is just a nurse!, until he gets his degree at least
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-06-13 23:25:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15375723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mournsi/pseuds/mournsi
Summary: Sure, being Iron Man had it's perks. But being sent to the hospital after some things went wrong definitely wasn't a perk. Add being a single dad onto that and you've got yourself into more trouble. Though, there's a new (and very gorgeous) nurse that Tony's never seen before that has him on his toes.





	1. Awake

**Author's Note:**

> uhhh hi! forgive me, but i'm new to the whole 'writing fics' world. i've been doing more and more lately since i joined the MCU craze, happy to be here! this is my first time ever posting a fic anywhere as well and i might as well get out of my comfort zone for once.
> 
> this is mostly an ironstrange story with some family fluff later on, but i will have more pairings coming into the mix as i update! i'm excited for this! i'm not quite sure how many chapters this is going to be just yet.
> 
> kudos and comments are always appreciated. thank you! ❤️

“Papa-- papa, you’re awake!”

A harsh light filled the room. Iodoform hit his nose, the distinct smell that he knew too well. _A hospital… huh._ Tony thought.

His brown eyes met wide ones, tiny hands grasping the bed rail. Tony smiled weakly, noticing that he had an oxygen mask on. “Hey bud…” He said, placing his hand on top of one of Peter’s in an attempt to reassure the young boy. “I’m here… I’m okay.”

“I thought I lost you! I don’t want you to die!” Peter let out a sob. All Tony could do is let out a soft laugh.

“You’re not gonna lose me, Pete. C’mere.” And with that, his son carefully wrapped his arms around him, making sure not to interrupt all the cords and the IV that was in his arm. He softly patted Peter’s back, feeling his tears soak through the hospital gown. “Shhh…” Tony cooed at the younger boy.

“Sorry to bother you,” A tall male dressed in navy blue scrubs poked his head in before joining the two in the room. He had dark black hair with graying stripes, light blue eyes and a comforting smile. “I came to check up on you and such, but I see you’re awake now.”

Tony thought the man was gorgeous, and he seemed very down-to-earth. Peter let go of his dad, peering up at the other man.

“This is Stephen- he’s your nurse! He’s really nice!”

Stephen let out a soft giggle at the younger boy’s instant peppiness. “Your son is quite the sweetheart. It’s nice to have someone keep me busy during my late night shifts.”

“Is that so?” Tony smiled weakly. “I’m glad he wasn’t too much trouble.”

The nurse walked over and began checking things, along with replacing his IV bag. Tony curiously watched him the whole time. “It’s just saline, don’t worry. You were very dehydrated when you came in… and you still are a little.” Stephen chimed in.

“What… what happened exactly?” The injured man questioned.

“Ah, well… a mild concussion, pinched nerves in your back, four cracked ribs and a twisted left ankle… but that’s nothing to Iron Man, right?” The nurse ruffled his hair playfully, finishing his work. Before heading to the door he handed Peter a juice box and smiled.

“Wait- you know who I am?” Tony was baffled a little with the teasing, eyes a little wide. He coughed a little as Stephen rested a hand against the door frame briefly.

“You could say I’m a little bit of a fan, I suppose.” He replied. “But, if you need anything, I’m only a call away.” A hand was gestured at Tony, where he looked down in response to the nurse button on the TV remote.

Before he could even say thank you, the man was gone and probably already down the hall. Peter happily drank from his juice box and swung his feet as he sat in the chair beside the bed. This was gonna be one hell of a hospital visit, but Tony was going to make the most of it. Or at least try.


	2. Relief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wasn't joking when i added slow build to the tags. lots of dialogue with this chapter, hope you don't mind!  
> also, thorbruce is going to be added in as well! ❤️ i'm very nervous about writing for both of them, especially bruce. please let me know if you enjoy the fic!

Three days. Three days that he had already spent in the hospital. It felt more like three weeks. Tony cursed himself for not having healing abilities… if only he had healing abilities. He would already be up and out of bed, probably doing jumping jacks and back flips. Yet, here he was with the ability to barely walk. Though at least he could sit up now. It still hurt, of course, but with every improvement he could see a smile on Peter’s face and the only thing he had in mind was to keep his son’s spirits up. Peter was his entire world.

 

Speaking of his son, Tony looked over to see the boy calmly asleep in the guest bed right across from his. He hated seeing Peter worry himself too much, to the point of tiring himself out. A voice made Tony jolt a little.

 

“Hey man- wow. You look… rough to say the least.” A man, a few inches shorter than Tony, with tanned skin and black curly hair that was graying came into the room. Bruce laughed when the injured man made the good old face scrunch he was known for.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Tony waved his hand. Bruce looked over at the sleeping boy in the other bed.

 

“You still want us to take him for the night?” He asked.

 

“It’d be good for him. You and Thor keep his mind off of stuff like this the best.” Tony pulled himself up in the bed, detangling any cords that got in his way. “By the way, how’s Thor doing? I haven’t seen him in awhile.”

 

“He’s good- very good, actually. It’s a bit awkward since Loki keeps popping in on us and making him huffy, other than that he’s managing.” Bruce ran a hand through his hair.

 

Thor finally showed up, happily waving at Tony. “Greetings, Stark!” Tony responding with a wave back.

 

“Pete’s all yours. Make sure to keep ‘em safe for me.” Tony said.

 

“Of course!” The blonde male made his way over to the sleeping boy, easily and carefully picking him up without bothering his nap. He also grabbed Peter’s backpack and slung it over his other shoulder. Bruce stood on his toes to plant a kiss on Thor’s cheek.

 

“Take him to the car, honey. I’m gonna talk to Tony for a few more minutes.” Bruce softly said as his husband nodded and gave Tony a smile.

 

“I do hope you recover soon. We’ll take good care of him for you, okay?” Thor added on before leaving the room with Peter securely in his arms.

 

Bruce took a seat in the chair right beside the bed, nudging the other playfully. “Sooo, I saw the nurse you told me about. Not bad, not bad.”

 

Tony let out a snort, rolling his eyes. “Not bad? He’s breathtaking.”

 

“This is the first time I’ve heard you talk like this,” The other man leaned back in his chair. “It’s kinda freaking me out.”

 

“Good.” Tony teased. “Maybe I can finally get payback for being your and Thor’s third wheel.”

 

“We’ll see about that. Just use that charm of yours, should work- easy peasy. Seems like he’s already interested in you. I went to go ask for where your room was, low and behold he was at the nurse’s station, wide eyed and everything. The second I mentioned your name his face lit up like a christmas tree.” Bruce shrugged as he stood up from the chair. “All you gotta do is take the leap, man. I’m rooting for you.” He leaned over, giving Tony a hug. “I’m sure it would make Peter quite the happy kid having two dads.” That was jokingly said, yet Tony could hear the sincerity in his tone.

 

“Okay, okay- slow down, big guy,” The man flicked Bruce on the forehead as he pulled back from the hug. “Don’t get your hopes up that much.”

 

“I’m just saying!” Bruce fixed his glasses and patted Tony’s leg. “In all seriousness, get better soon. We’re all waiting for you to come home.”

 

“I’m working on it.”

 

And with that, Bruce left the room. To be honest, Tony hated these moments of being alone. The thought of being alone has haunted him for as long as he knew, even if it was temporary at times. It riddled him with anxiety with just the thought. He was thankful to have Peter, he loved that boy more than anything in the world. Peter was constantly attached to his hip when he wasn’t out and about doing business or superhero things. Tony always ended up with a blanket and snacks while working several hours in his workshop, the young boy peering over his shoulder as he took in his dad’s work. 

 

Bruce’s head popped in the room. “Don’t forget to bring Stephen home with you!”

 

Tony flushed in embarrassment, wanting to shout at the other man for being so loud, yet didn’t seeing that he already took off down the hallway.

 

The nurse watched the man casually jog to the elevators, laughing away. He shook his head, grinning down at his paperwork. Stephen heard it all and wondered what sudden turn his life was going to take.


	3. Sweetness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah, i love awkward flirting. if you can call it that.   
> tony is internally suffering, but help is on the way in chapter 4!

Stephen was sort of into keeping up with celebrities, but definitely not as much as the rest of the world, that’s for sure. He knew some and clearly didn’t know enough by his friend’s standards. If he had to choose a favorite, it would be Iron Man, Tony, hands down. He really found interest in him for the oddest reasons. The man carried himself with pride and structure, alongside being a genius and knowing his ways around many things. Sure, he got a lot of backlash for narcissistic moments during his career… although Stephen saw a softness in him two nights ago when he first met Tony.

 

The two have been chatting a little ever since. Not full-on conversations just yet, though he could see Tony wanted to say more than he actually did and Stephen wouldn’t lie if he said he wanted to talk to him more as well. He felt… weird. Like paparazzi trying to pry into his life. It wasn’t his job to mingle and prod at his patients, he thought, only to make sure that Tony was fully recovering. No matter how badly he wanted to be friends with the man, he just couldn’t bring himself to do it over the hint of guilt in the back of his mind. Well, maybe he could. It would take time. Stephen was always known for stepping out of his comfort zone. The man rested his head on the nurse’s station desk and sighed. The tapping of his pen was interrupted by the sound of a nurse alarm going off. He peered over to see the room number and shot up from his chair immediately, noticing that it was Tony calling for him.

 

“Yeees?” Stephen called out, stopping his sprint to the room, standing at the door. He was relieved to see that nothing serious was troubling the man.

 

Tony let out a cough before speaking. “Is it okay to ask you for some ice cream?”

 

The nurse let out a giggle. “That’s no problem at all. What flavor?”

 

“Strawberry, please and thank you!” Tony spoke up, the other already heading down to the cafeteria like his life depended on getting that ice cream. Within a few minutes he came back with not one, but two small styrofoam cups of the frozen dessert.

 

“Brought you double because I enjoy you that much.” Stephen teased, hoping to spark up a conversation.

 

“Damn, this hospital has the best service. I applaud you, you probably make lots of patients happy.” Tony eagerly took the plastic spoon and dug into the ice cream, wincing at the sudden movement of his arm.

 

“I try to at least-” The nurse’s face scrunched in confusion. “Are you okay?”

 

Tony laughed it off, before trying again with the same result. “Hm.” He let out a huff and looked at the other. “You wouldn’t… y’know, mind… feeding the ice cream to me, would you?” He timidly asked.

 

“I wouldn’t be opposed to doing so. Here…”

 

Stephen took the spoon from the other’s grasp as he relaxed back into bed. Tony made a noise that stopped him as he was scooping a spoonful of ice cream.

 

“Are you sure? You’re not busy right? I don’t wanna keep you from doing your job.”

 

“I am doing my job, silly. Besides- night shifts aren’t exactly the busiest time here. You’re perfectly fine.” The nurse reassured Tony, with him happily taking the ice cream in response. There was complete silence as this went on, the dull sound of the TV in the background.

 

“I’m sorry if Peter has ever been any trouble for you, he’s a handful, even for me.” Tony sparked the conversation back up again.

 

“Oh really? I think he’s a well-mannered young man. Just like his father.” Stephen glanced at Tony, blue eyes meeting brown.

 

“I may be well-mannered, but I’m barely young anymore,” Tony chuckled. “Still, thank you for keeping an eye on him when you could. He’s… used to me getting myself into things such as this and the company really keeps him from bawling his eyes out repeatedly.”

 

“It’s really no problem, I enjoy kids. I’ve had a lot of kid patients and I’m always wanting to make them smile. It gives them a second to forget about what they’re currently going through.” The nurse replied, setting down the second empty cup. Tony was fixated on him, as if he was studying his features. The other shook his head to snap himself out of it.

 

“My bad. I have an issue with that sometimes… You’re just attractive- if you don’t mind me saying that.” Tony subconsciously blurted out, catching himself a few seconds later. “Shit.”

 

Stephen blinked before grinning. “Wow, the one and only Tony Stark finds me attractive, huh?” He muttered, fixing a stray hair that fell upon Tony’s forehead. “I can say the same about you, definitely. I’m sure you’re used to hearing it.”

 

It was almost like the injured man melted into his touch, even if it was for a second. “I might be, but it’s ten times better hearing it from someone like you.” Tony slowly placed his hand on top of Stephen’s, the other jumping only because of a mere beep that came from his pager. Way to ruin the moment. Tony slightly frowned once he realized.

 

“I’m sorry, someone else is calling for me… if you wanna talk later, I’ll come back to check up on you, okay?” Stephen consoled the man. Tony gave him a gentle smile. “Just rest. It’s what you need right now.”

 

He watched as the nurse left, grumbling like a kid who got told no. Smooth move, Stark. It seemed like Bruce wasn’t pulling his leg when he said that Stephen showed interest in him. The realization made his heart pound. Tony used his good arm to grab the phone, carefully dialing a number and putting it up to his ear. He only had one person to help him through all of this.

 

The dial tone cut off with a calm voice. “Hello?”

 

“Natasha, I need your advice.”


	4. A little spider told me so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter's a bit short, sorry about that! i really wanted to practice writing natasha. again, it's mostly dialogue. hope you enjoy!

“So, you got yourself a boy toy, huh?” Natasha instinctively guessed. Damn her for it.

 

“I haven’t said a word yet you know my life story.”

 

“I’m a spy, it isn’t hard to figure anything out, for me at least,” She added. “Plus, Bruce has been chatting my ear off about your sudden romance.”

 

“I wouldn’t call it that.” Tony scrunched his nose at her words. Bruce hadn’t always been chatty much, though with Thor being a new influence, Tony only could imagine what he could become. 

 

“What would you call it then, big shot?” The woman questioned. “I call it a crush… it’s adorable really.”

 

“Don’t call it a crush, that’s used for like… kids Peter’s age and high schoolers.”

 

“Yeah but,” Natasha was sitting at his bar back at Stark Tower, swirling her cocktail in her hand. “You act like either at anytime... so, it cancels it out.”

 

Tony opened his mouth to make a snide remark but closed it a few seconds later.

 

“I’ll help you out. Don’t worry.” She spoke out to keep away the silence.

 

“Thank god,” Tony sighed with relief. “By the way, how’s Peter?”

 

Natasha took a second to look over to the sight of Thor, Bruce and Peter cuddled up on the couch, watching cartoons and sharing snacks as Thor dozed off. She continued to watch the bright colors on the flat screen. “He’s in good hands. For sure.”

 

“That’s a relief to hear. Any outbursts today?”

 

“He started crying, wanting to come and see you apparently. Steve had to be the one to pry him away from the door as far as I heard from them. It breaks my heart to see him miss you that much. But other than that, he’s been peachy. We’re all keeping an eye on him regardless.”

 

Tony smiled sheepishly. They weren’t blood related at all, but he considered all of them apart of his family. His clumsy, reckless family. “Tell the others I said thank you, that goes for you as well. I wouldn’t know what I’d do without you guys.”

 

“Well, well, well. Look at you bein’ a sap.” Natasha joked, knowing he meant it. “We all care about you and Peter a lot,” She added, downing her drink. “Now, time to be your wing woman. I’ll be over as soon as I can.”

 

“Nat… it’s 6am. I don't even know if he's still on the clock.”

 

The woman was quiet on the other line.

 

“So? I’m still coming.”

 

Tony rolled his eyes before the redhead hung up, causing him to do the same right after. She was true to her word.


	5. Patience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no ironstrange in this chapter unfortunately! they'll be the stars in the next one. thorbruce plays a big part in this chapter though. and some cute family fluff stuff. enjoy!

“When do you think papa will be back home?”

 

For being a genius, that was one question that had Bruce stumped. He turned to look at the young boy, who was leaning against his arm, locking those huge brown eyes onto him. His nerves were weary, though he kept his calmness.

 

“I’m… I’m not sure. Your dad was pretty hurt,” Bruce wasn’t the best at being reassuring. “I’m sure Stephen is there keeping him company and taking care of him the best he can though.”

 

Peter instantly lit up with a smile, the man sighing in content. “I think papa likes Stephen…” The young boy let out a giggle. “I mean like-likes him.”

 

“Is that so?” Oh, innocence. It made Bruce’s heart feel like it was being squeezed, in a good way of course.

 

“Yeah!” Peter got up, standing on the couch as he put his hands in the air. “I’m gonna have a second papa soon!”

 

Thor woke up from his nap, harshly. The blonde looked around in a confused daze. “Did someone mention poptarts?”

 

The scientist tried his best not to burst out in laughter from his husband’s awakening to the excited shouting but gave him a gentle smile, to which Thor had one in return.

 

Peter crawled across the couch, grabbing Thor by his face and smushed his cheeks together. “I said papa, silly! Not poptarts!” He giggled up a storm.

 

“My bad, little one…” Thor said as the boy let go of his face, the two men watching the boy jump from the couch, only to start doing his signature happy dance. Peter watched as Natasha went by. “Aunt Nat, Aunt Nat! Come dance with me!” He pleaded excitedly. She quickly noticed she was being called and made her way over, grabbing smaller hands and holding them securely as she danced along to the music on the TV.

 

“Why don’t you join us, boys?” Nat asked, looking at the two sprawled out on the couch.

 

“I’m old.” Bruce responded.

 

“I’m… lazy.” Thor added in, the redheaded woman instantly cracking up at his answer.

 

“I mean, hey, at least he’s being honest.” She shot her playful gaze near Bruce. He threw his hands up in defense as he played along.

 

“I’m being honest too!”

 

“Yeah, sorry Uncle Bruce… you are kinda old.” Peter bluntly said, continuing to dance with Nat.

 

The other two adults stifled their amusement, fully breaking out into laughter seconds after.

 

“Ouch. He’s definitely Tony’s kid. One hundred percent blunt.” The scientist let out a chuckle, before he got up to start himself a fresh pot of coffee, which Thor followed suit.

 

Getting up into the cabinets, Thor fished out a box of poptarts and the coffee grounds, handing them to Bruce. He noticed a hint of… sadness on his husband’s face, a gut feeling forming to ask him what was wrong.

 

“Is everything alright?” Thor quietly asked, the other’s eyes shifting up and down… up and down as they caught Thor’s in return.

 

“Huh- yeah, yeah… everything’s alright, honey.” A blunt response, no emotion in his tone. Bruce busied himself with making his coffee.

 

“You’re lying. Your hand is twitching.”

 

Bruce’s jaw tightened, finishing what he was doing and continued to look down at the sleek marble counter. “It sounds selfish, but… I’m sort of jealous of Tony.”

 

“How so?” Thor was curious.

 

“He… he gets to have a son. A child. Someone he gets to watch grow and prosper, someone he can teach things to and someone that can rely on him… I, I… want that.” The dark haired male went on, his anxiety clear in his voice.

 

“But you have the ability to do the same activities with Peter, and you already do, of course…” Thor cautiously rubbed the small of his back, attempting to calm his anxiety. He definitely didn’t want the other guy to come out, not right now at least. “But you want a child of your own, I understand.”

 

Bruce let tears fall onto the counter, already feeling guilty for what he was truly feeling. “I just… wish you and me could have a kid of our own,” He let out a pity laugh. “Maybe two, three… It’s scientifically impossible, even if one of us was a woman, it still wouldn’t work out. I don’t know what to do with how I feel…” Finally feeling comfortable, he threw himself into Thor’s arms, softly sobbing and soaking Thor’s t-shirt with tears. All his husband could do was comfort and soothe him.

 

“Don’t you have something on midgard that’s called…” Thor racked his brain for the word. “Adoption?” Bruce nodded at his answer, still sobbing.

 

“Loki was adopted, in our terms, and he had a loving home due to my mother and father… sure, he turned out a bit weird but, he’s my brother and he’s still family.” He was rambling. Not the best choice right now. “What I’m trying to say, is that one of these days… we should look into adopting, yes? I remember you talking about the children that you’ve seen all over midgard that we’re looking for families, we could take them all in.”

 

Bruce let out a snort, sniffling a little as he looked up at Thor with a dumb grin on his face. “I like your enthusiasm but dear, we couldn’t handle that many kids. God… me and Hulk would be a complete mess.” Thor nuzzled him, happy that Bruce was cheering up a bit. “Although… yeah, yeah… that does sound nice. Us finally having a happy little family…” He began to ramble himself, intertwining his fingers with the other man’s.

 

Natasha helped Peter put on his shoes, him bouncing up and down as he impatiently waited for her to finish. “Can’t wait to see your dad, I see.”

 

“And Stephen! I want to see how well he’s done with Papa!” Peter jumped up after she finished, Natasha grabbing her car keys and holding the little one’s hand as they went into the elevator.


	6. Curious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OTL my writing sucks... at least in my opinion. but im trying!  
> i'll try to get more chapters out soon. comments and kudos is appreciated and keeps me going! thank you for reading!  
> oh and. next chapter i'll stop being a tease.

“My goodness, someone’s excited.”

 

Natasha and Peter had arrived at the hospital, currently taking the elevator up the countless floors.

 

“I’m always happy to see papa!” The boy looked up at her, smiling innocently. She smiled back. “Thank you for taking me.”

 

Natasha smiled even harder. Being an aunt was the closest she’d ever get to having kids and thought she was the luckiest person on the planet. She also adored Clint’s kids as she visited them every weekend. “Of course, anything for you.”

 

The elevator dinged as it opened, Peter tugging on her hand and pulling her along the hospital corridor. They made it to the room and noticed that Tony was talking to Stephen, the nurse giggling up a storm. Natasha raised an eyebrow curiously, watching Stephen pull his hand away from Tony’s as he noticed the others entered the room.

 

“Stephen!” Peter tumbled over to the man, clinging to his side.

 

“Hey little man, I missed you!” Stephen patted his back, grinning. Peter looked up at him and motioned for him to pick him up, the man lifting him up and holding him at his side.

 

“How’s papa doing?”

 

Tony held Peter’s hand, squeezing it. “I’m doing good, not too long before I’m out of here. They’re just watching my concussion to make sure I’m mostly recovered, the rest can be handled with medication.”

 

“Really?!” The boy excitedly hollered, making the adults laugh. His dad nodded.

 

“Yes, only a few more days. I’m gonna miss you two.” Stephen frowned before Peter hugged him close, looking back to his dad.

 

“I don’t wanna leave Stephen here alone! Can we take him with us?”

 

“Yeah, Tony, can we?” Natasha added in, smirking at Tony.

 

The genius laughed, covering his face in a timid manner, Stephen staring down at him, seeming like he was waiting for an answer. He made his way to the bathroom and quietly shut the door.

 

“I think I made him nervous.” The woman snorted.

 

The nurse shrugged it off and looked back at Peter. “You wanna go get some ice cream? I’m sure your aunt wants to visit as much as you do.”

 

Brown eyes gleamed. “Yeah! Let’s go!”

 

The two adults exchanged smiles and Stephen left the room with Peter. A few minutes later, Tony peeked his head out. “Nat, I despise you so much.”

 

Natasha shrugged, slumping comfortably in one of the chairs. “If you’re gonna be a chicken then I have to at least help. I said I was going to anyways.”

 

“Yeah but not like that!” Tony returned to the bed, sitting on the edge. “But… we have been flirting so I assume he is actually interested.” He said, fixing his bedhead. “I… think I’m gonna ask him out. I’ve got nothing to lose after all.”

 

“There you go!” Nat punched him in the arm playfully. “Get yourself back in the game. You know how much Pepper wants you to… and everyone else for that matter. You’ve been moping.”

 

Tony and Pepper were happy together, no doubt about that. But work was getting in the way and Pepper wanted to discover herself so the two split and thought being friends suited them better. They were still extremely close, basically best friends. A year after the breakup, Pepper had told him that she had fallen for Natasha. He was more than happy for her and even encouraged her to confess, which she did. Now the two women have been going steady for a bit. It’s not that Tony didn’t want to start dating again, but rather he wanted someone that wouldn’t only want him for his fortune and fame. Stephen knew who he was. Yet, he seemed more interested in Tony himself and his home life. The nurse also showed genuine interest in his son which caught his eye first. He would want someone who wants a family. After all, they would be included in his giant, bunched up family. Stephen seemed like the perfect person to let into his heart. _Slow steps._ Tony thought.

 

“I know, I know. But I’m for real this time.”

 

“Good because he’s real cute. You’ll have a super hard time finding someone that hot with your usual attitude.” She laughed receiving a punch in the arm back.

 

“Hey! I’m not that bad.”

 

Natasha and Tony continued talking for a bit, Tony asking about the others and how they were doing. Thor and Bruce had really been the only ones around as the rest were on vacation. Peter bursted into the room, climbing on the bed with Stephen following him into the room shortly after. The man in the bed let out an ‘oof’ sound, his son hugging him tightly and nuzzling his head into his chest. Stephen walked over and held out a hand to the woman, the two shaking hands.

 

“I’m Nat, or Natasha. Nice to meet you.”

 

“Likewise. I’m Stephen. I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about me.” He chuckled.

 

“Oh have I ever…” The redhead peered over at Tony again, mischief all over her face. She was such a little shit.

 

“Do you need anything, Tones?” The nurse asked as Natasha immediately perked up at the nickname.

 

“No, I’m fine… but thank you though.”

 

Tony cursed him for using that nickname right in front of Nat, she’d use it for blackmail, jokes, anything she could get her speedy hands on. Nonetheless, it made his heart flutter and he was merely just flirting with the guy. He had to bite his tongue as Natasha almost opened her mouth.

 

“Okay, well, I have one other patient to check up on and then I’ll come back after you’re done visiting,” Stephen said as he wrote down some things on a clipboard and placed it back into the door holder. He looked back up at Natasha with a kind grin. “It was nice meeting you.” He waved at Peter to say goodbye.

 

And with that, he was off.

 

“... Tones, huh? That’s so adorable.” The woman teased, the man wanting to throw anything and everything at her. “Our little Tones has a crush.”

 

“Don’t ruin this for me… please.” Tony sighed. Peter was dozing off in his arms, making his heart melt. “A few more days bud… then you can do this whenever you want. But, why don’t you let Aunt Nat take you home so you can sleep?” The young boy made a noise, stretching out and nuzzling his face into Tony’s chest.

 

“Wanna… stay with… papa....” A yawn was let out and he slipped into sleep once more.

 

“You heard him.” Natasha added in.

 

“I guess it wouldn’t be so bad. It’ll help him get accustomed to his possible new dad…”

 

“Atta boy,” The redhead stood up, giving the man a hug, making sure that she didn’t sandwich the sleeping boy between them. “I’ll see you when you get home. Rest easy, alright?”

 

“Can do.”

 

Natasha made her way down the hallway, finally stopping at the nurse’s station, casually leaning on the counter. Stephen noticed, looking up.

 

“Heya.” Nat chimed in.

 

“What’s up?”

 

“I wanted to talk to you about Tony, if that’s cool with you.” She said, tapping her nails on the finished wood.

 

“He’s not in pain or anything, right?” The woman shook her head in response.

 

“Nah, he’s cool. I just wanted to let you know the man has like, the biggest crush on you. It’s like he’s in high school all over again. Won’t stop talking about you as if it’s like his air supply.” She smirked, sending a wink his way. “Quite a lucky guy, I’d say so myself.”

 

The nurse flushed, dropping his pen onto his papers subconsciously. “... Is that so? Huh.”

 

“Oh yeah. He’s a good guy and a great father. I’d consider giving him a chance, yeah?” Natasha continued talking, walking over to the elevator shafts, her nimble finger pressing the button. “I’ve heard he’s a beast in bed.”

 

 _Ding!_ The woman waved once more before leading her own way into the elevator and the doors closed.

 

Stephen didn’t know what to think. His mind was blank. His face felt hot and he could’ve swore his hands were twitching. He did a double take, looking down the hall where Tony’s room was and then back to his papers. Sorting said papers into the filing cabinet, he made his way to the room he so desperately wanted to be in.


End file.
